Fluid-fuel-burner control



Oct. 8, 1929. P. F. SHIVERS FLUID FUEL BURNER CONTROL Filed May '7, 1927 WW mm WW d m mm J 5 m NE 6A M i Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL F. SHIVERS, F WAIBASH, INDIANA MINNEAPOLIS-HONEYWELL REGULATO A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO B COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

I'LUID-FUEL-BURNER CONTROL Application filed May 7,1927. Serial No. 189,48Q,

matic normal operations of the burner but will prevent delivery of fuel in all cases of accidental failure of ignitionor combustion. The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention diagrammatically.

In the drawing and 11 indicate the main power leads and flow of current from these leads is controlled by a room thermostat T and/or other welllmown control devices X.

Leading from T is a line 12 to the bimetallic warp blade 13 of a warp switch W to which is electrically connected one end of a heating coil 14 the-opposite end of which is connected by wire 15 to two terminals 16 and 17 in the opposite ends of a mercury tube 19 movement of which is controlled by the combustion control element C which is an element sensitive to combustion conditions adjacent the burner.

Paired with terminal 16, at the cold end of tube 19, is a terminal 18 connected by wire 20 with the fixed terminal 21 of the warp switch W. The leaf 22, of switch W, is normally held in electrical contact with terminal 21 against the action of the spring 23 by blade 13, leaf 22 being insulated from said blade. Wire 24 connects leaf 22 with the stator 25 of the supplemental motor VM, the opposite end of said stator being connected by wire 26 to lead 10.

The supplemental motor VM is of a type which permits stalling of the rotor and the rotor is connected'by a reducing train of gears 27 with a re'c1procating plunger 28 which is biased against the action of the rotor by a spring 29. Plunger 28 opens and closes a fuel-valve 30 in the fuel supply line.

Arranged adjacent plun er 28 is an ignition switch IS which, in the diagram, comprises a pivoted carrier and a mercury tube 36 having two terminals 37 and 38. The carrier 35 is actuated in circuit closing direction by a pin 39 on plunger 28, said pin having a one-way engagement with carrier 35 ing direction either by unbalanced weight or a spring which is dash pot D.

. Terminal 37 is connected by wire 40 with wire 12 and it is, therefore, electrically connected with thermostat T and blade 13. Terminal38 is connected by wire 41 with electric yieldingly opposed by. av

ignition means I which, in the diagram, is indic ated as comprising electric sparking means 42 and electric gas valve pilot 43, and said elements 42 and 43 are connected by wire 44 with lead 10'. i

Actuated by plunger 28 is a circuit-breaker L comprising a pivoted carrier upon which is mounted a mercury tube 51, the carrier 50 being connected to plunger 28 in such manner that it is in circuit-breaking position when the fuel valve is closed. Tube 51 is provided at one end with three associated terminals 52, 53 and 54: Terininal 52 is connected by wire 55 with wire 20 and, therefore, with ter minals 18 and 21. Terminal 53 is connected by wire 56 with wire 15 and, therefore, with heating coil 14 andterminals16 and 17.

Terminal 54 is connected by wire 57 with the fuel motor M and said fuel motor is connected by wire 58 to lead 10 through wire 26. Paired with terminal 17 is a terminal 60 connected by wire 61 with, blade 13.

The combustion control C is a circuit determining element sensitive to combustion condltions closely adjacent the-burner and is most conveniently a well known thermostatic device which, while capable of movement 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 10, whereupon the supple;

mental motor VM operates to open the valve 30, to shift circuit-breaker L to circuit closing position, and to free the ignition circuit-breaker TS to permit itto start, under its biasing, toward circuit openin position. Shifting of carrier 50 closes the uel motor circuit 11, T, 12, 13, 14, 15, 5 6, 53, 54, 57,

, cuit 11, T, 12,-61,

58, 26, 10, for motor M and 11, T, 12, 61, 60,

fering with maintenance of current through the supplemental motor because ofthe connection at 5352. Shifting of the combustion control C to hot position shunts out the heating coil 1 both as to the fuel motor M and the supplemental motor VM, by the cir- 56, 5s, 54., 57, M,

' for the supplemental motor.

7 If the ignition fails, the combustion control C remains in cold position and, therefore, a flow of current to the supplemental motor and fuel motor through heating coil 14 for a sufficient length of time will warp blade 13 and permit a break of all circuits except the ignition circuit at 21 22 and the parts must be reset manually. The same result occurs if, for any reason, there is a cessation of combustion because combustion control C will re.- turn to cold position thus throwing the heating coil 14 into series with the fuel motor and the supplemental mdtor and causing a break at 21-22.

If combustion control C fails to respond to combustion at the burner, coil 145will be heated and abreak will be produced at 2122.

While I have illustrated mercury tube switches at various points it will be readily understood that any desired formof circuit breaker suitable forhandling the necessary current maybe substituted without departing from my invention. It will also be understood that the details of motor VM and its connection with the switches actuated thereby may be considerably modified and that it is not absolutely essential that this motor actuates a fuel valve because, while such a valve is quite desirable to insure against leakage of fuel past the fuel delivering apparatus driven or controlled by motor M, such apparatus controlled by motor M may be solely relied upon to control the flow of fuel. For convenience motor M may be called the fuel motor and motor VM may be called the supplemental motor. The details of the warp switch may be varied, the essential characteristics being that there be a retarded circuit-breaking action after a predetermined time interval of current flow in the absence of combus tion at the burner, and the term warp switch in the claims is used to designate such a device generally, and the term heating coil is used to designate generally the element nection thereof electrically causing delayed circuit breaking action. p

The fuel motor may drive or control a fuel pump or other fuel-flow control means and may drive movable parts of the burner proper.

The term room thermostat is used to designate a main circuit-controlling element sensitive to thermal or other conditions to be affected by the burner.

These various details may be varied through a wide range without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a control system for fluid-fuel burners; a fuel motor; a supplemental motor; a circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions adjacent the burner, said circuitbreaker'comprising a pair of terminals normally cold-connected and a pair of terminals normally hot-connected; a circuit-breaker actuated by the supplemental motor and comprising a group of three terminals, and means for simultaneously making or breaking circuitsat such group; meansactuated by the supplemental motor for actuating said motoractuated circuit breaker; a warp switch comprising a heating-element; electric power confor the heating element; electric connection between the heating coil, one terminal of both the hot and cold pairs of the breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor-actuated circuit-breaker; switch, one terminal 'ofthe cold group of the circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, the supplemental motor, and a power terminal; electric connections between one termmal of the motor actuated circuit-breaker and the fuel motor; electric connections between said fuel motor and power terminal.

2. In a control system for fluid-fuel burners; a fuel motor; a supplemental motor ;a

circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions adjacent the burner, said circuit-breaker comprising a pair of terminals normally cold-connected and a pair of terminals normally hot-connected; a circuit-breaker actuated by the supplemental motor and comprising a group of three terminals, and means for simultaneously making or breaking circuits at such group; a reciprocable element actuated by said supplemental motor and connected .to said motor-actuated circuit means biasing said reciprocable element against the rotor of the supplemental motor; a warp switch comprising a heating element; electrical power connection for the heating element electric connection between the heating coil, one terminal of both the hot and cold pairs of the breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor-acelectric connections between the warp -breaker i tuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, one terminal of the cold group of the circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, the supplemental motor, and a power terminal; electric connections between one terminal of the motor actuated circuit-breaker and the fuel motor; electric connection between said fuel motor and power terminal.

3. In a control system for fluid-fuel burners; a fuel motor; a supplemental motor; a circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions adjacent the burner, said circuit-breaker comprising a pair of terminals normally coldconnected and a pair'of-terminals normally hot-connected; a circuit-breaker actuated by the supplemental motor and comprising a group of three terminals, and means for simultaneously making or breaking circuits at such group; means actuated by the supplemental motor for actuating said motoractuated circuit-breaker; an ignition circuitbreaker; delayed-action-means biasing said ignition circuit-breaker to circuit-breaking position; one-way means actuated by the sup plemental motor for shifting the ignition circuit-breaker to circuit-closing position; a warp switch comprising a heating element; electrical power connection for the heating element and one terminal of the ignition circuit-breaker; electrical connection between the heating coil, one terminal of both the hot and cold pairs of the breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor-actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, one terminal of the cold group of the circuitbreaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, the supplemental motor, and a power terminal; electric connections between one terminal of the motor-actuated circuitbreaker and the fuel motor; electric connection between said fuel motor and power terminal; electrical ignition means; electric connections between one terminal of the ignition circuit-breaker and said ignition means; and electric connections between said ignition means and a power terminal.

4. t In a control system for fluid-fuel burners; a fuel motor; a supplemental motor; a circuit-breaker sensitive to combustion conditions adjacent the burner, said circuit-breaker comprising a pair of terminals normally coldconnected and a pair of terminals normally hot-connected; a circuit-breaker actuated by the supplemental motor and comprising a group of three terminals, and means for simultaneously making or breaking circuits at such group; a reciprocable element actuated by said supplemental motor and connected to said motor-actuated circuit-breaker; means biasing said reciprocable element against the rotor of the supplementaLmotor; and ignition circuit-breaker; delayed-action means biasing said ignition circuit-breaker to circuit-breaking position; one-way means, actuated by the reciprocable member for shifting the ignition circuit-breaker to circuit-closing position; a warp switch comprising a heating element; electric power connection for the heating element and one terminal of the ignition circuit-breaker; electric connection between the heating coil, one terminal of both the hot and cold pairs of the breaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor-actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, one terminal of the cold group of the circuitbreaker sensitive to combustion conditions, and one terminal of the motor-actuated circuit-breaker; electric connections between the warp switch, the supplemental motor, and a power terminal; electric connections between one terminal of the motor-actuated circuitbreaker and the fuel motor; electric connection between said fuel motor and power terminal; electrical ignition means; electric connections between one terminal of the igni tion circuit-breaker and said ignition means and electric connections between said ignition means and a power terminal.

5. A control system having the characteristics specified in claim 1 and wherein a fuel valve, controlled by the supplemental motor, is arranged to control flow of fuel the burner.

6. A control system having the characteristics specified in claim 2 and wherein a fuel valve, controlled by the supplemental motor, is arranged to control flow of fuel relative to the burner.

7. A control system having the characteristics specified in claim 3 and wherein a fuel valve, controlled by the supplemental motor, is arranged to control flow of fuel relative to the burner.

8. A control system having the characteristics specified in claim 4 and wherein a fuel valve, controlled by the supplemental motor, is arranged to'control flow of fuel relative to the burner.

In witness whereof, I, PAUL F. SHIVERS, have hereunto set my hand at Wabash, Indiana, this 80th day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven.

PAUL F. SHIVERS.

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